Also, did you look at Assault’s offerings? If so, I’m curious what you found as pro’s/con’s of those to what you’re targeting.
As far as comparing the assault runners or other cheaper ones (including the new rouge/woodway LTG), from what I was told, the quality of build and warranty are what you are paying for in terms of added cost. The more expensive treadmills in theory are more solid/sturdy so you do get as much of the rattling that can occur with the plasticy cheaper models. $3500 is a lot of money for a “cheap†version of something I’ve learned, so I’m willing to pay more for something that will last 10-20+ years. Perhaps the initial running experience might be comparable or even preferred on the cheaper or lighter version, but long term, might cost more money to replace. Also, I’ve read the maintenance on the cheaper ones is required more frequently, and the warranties are ⅓ the time. Perhaps if you won’t be using it a lot, the cheaper ones might be ok for a while. But any long term or serious use, I am personally going for the better quality. But I’m also financially able to do so. To each his/her own.